3.1 Achieving Sustainable Development through Disaster Risk Management

How does disaster risk management help achieve sustainable development?

What is tectonic disaster risk?

• potential damage to properties

• potential injuries

• potential deaths

from a disaster in a given period of time

• brings serious environmental, social, and economic consequences

What is disaster risk management?

Plans and actions that are put in place to:

1. Prevent Disaster Risks before the Occurrences of Tectonic Hazard 

   • e.g.,

     • designing hazard-resistant buildings

       → structures can withstand hazards

       → don’t collapse easily

       ∴ disaster risk prevented

2. Reduce Disaster Risks as Tectonic Hazards Occur

   • e.g.,

     • tsunami + earthquake early monitoring and warning systems

       → timely evacuation

       → reduces potential fatalities

3. Manage Disaster Risks after the Occurrences of Tectonic Hazards

   • e.g., 

     • insurance coverage 

       → offers financial payouts to rebuild damaged properties

       ∴ quicker recovery

∴ strengthens resilience

→ enables communities to resist, adapt and recover from the impacts of tectonic hazards in a timely + efficient manner

Economic Consequences of Tectonic Hazards

• destruction of homes + properties

• individuals suffer financially

  • costly to repair + rebuild damaged homes

• Business owners can lose income

  • damage to their shops

• governments need to spend money to

  • repair + rebuild because of the damage done by tectonic hazards

Social Consequences of Tectonic Hazards

• results in injuries + fatalities

• people may become homeless

  • lose their houses

  • forced to live in temporary housing

    → lacking in sanitation

∴ poor standard of living

• seawater brought in by tsunamis

  • contaminate wells + other sources of drinking water

    → water pollution + spread of diseases 

• people may suffer from psychological trauma 

  • loss of homes/loved ones

  • PTSD 

Environmental Consequences of Tectonic Hazards

• can bury huge areas of forests + wetlands

  → destroys entire ecosystems + biodiversity loss

• debris from landslides

  • pollute rivers

→ kills aquatic life

• debris may block rivers

  • floods

→ damage nearby ecosystems

How do disaster risks and losses hinder development?

The consequences listed above may hinder the development of countries

• countries must channel money to rebuild after a tectonic hazard 

  • development slows down

→ less money invested in other areas like infrastructure + education

→ these costs are especially detrimental to developing countries 

• need for development is the highest

  • funds may be lacking even more 

People lose their source of income + home cuz of tectonic hazards

• driven into poverty 

• standard of living drops

∴ poverty reduction progresses slower 

• A country’s economic growth may also slow down

  • hinders their development

Why is it important to reduce disaster risks?

Important for disaster-prone developing countries

• social, economic, and environmental consequences may be very severe

  • hinders development

developing countries are often 

• disproportionately affected by tectonic hazards

  • as they lack the capacity to adequately 

    • prevent

    • reduce

    • manage

                      → disaster risks

some developing countries did manage to reduce disaster risks via

• investment and planning

→ reducing disaster risk is a

• cost-effective investment in preventing future losses

∴ sustainable development